In Gear for Paris Air Show and More D-Day History

On the heels of the 55th anniversary of D-day, a trip to Normandy, the D-day beaches and the Paris air show is scheduled June 9 to 21. Participants will begin in Paris with a sightseeing tour that covers Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, an evening cruise on the Seine and the Left Bank. Guests will attend the Paris Air Salon before traveling to Normandy and the D-day beaches. The itinerary includes the American Cemetery (seen in the movie “Saving Private Ryan”), Pegasus Bridge, St.-Mere-Eglise (where a U.S. paratrooper became entangled in the steeple on D-day) and the Caen War Museum. Other sites scheduled: Versailles, Honfleur, Mont-St.-Michel and Monet’s home and garden.

Cost: $2,695 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare, ground transportation, hotels, daily breakfast, museum fees and guides.

Contact: Jerren Travel Service; telephone (714) 731-8020.

Grand Canyon: Rafting

From July 7 to 13, guests can navigate 188 miles down the Colorado River, tracing much of the route of the John Wesley Powell expedition 127 years ago. California Lutheran University geology professor William Bilodeau will explain the geological scenery as it floats by. Travel will be by 30-foot motorized rafts piloted by professional river guides. White-water rapids will be interspersed with quiet flat-water stretches. Daily hikes and stops at places such as Redwall Cavern, Nautiloid Canyon, the Anasazi granary, Deer Creek Falls and the travertine pools of Havasupai Creek are highlights. All camping gear wil be provided, and the river guides will prepare three meals a day.

Cost: $1,785 per person, including round-trip air charter from Las Vegas to Page, Ariz.; one night hotel in Page; transfers; all meals on the river; and a helicopter ride out of the canyon. Not included: transportation to Las Vegas.

Contact: Carolyn Edwards at Mesa Travel, 5458 El Carro Lane, Carpinteria, CA 93013; tel. (805) 684-6601.

Mexico: Surfing

Surfers looking to escape the gray skies and cool ocean temperatures of May can join Adventure Outfitters’ mainland Mexico surfing trip to Costa Azul Adventure Resort May 16 to 21. Costa Azul is located just outside the seaside village of San Francisco, about 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta. From there, surfers will travel up and down the coast to surf some of the best warm-water point and reef breaks in the area. Kayaking, horseback riding, mountain biking and fishing will also be available on the trip.

Cost: $966 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, accommodations, all meals and drinks, sports activities and transportation to surf.

Contact: Adventure Outfitters, 2137 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90815; tel. (800) 430-2544.

Guatemala: Holy Week

Casa Xelaju, an institute of cultural studies based in Austin, Texas, is sponsoring a Holy Week tour of Guatemala from March 30 to April 6. The tour will include visits to sites of historical, cultural and religious significance. Among the highlights are a stay in Quetzaltenango, where the tour group will participate in Holy Week processions and festivals; day trips to the towns of Salcaja and Cantel to tour one of the oldest churches in Central America and a blown-glass factory; and a visit to an indigenous market in Chichicastenango. Included are boat visits to towns along Lake Atitlan, educational lectures and visits to museums and churches.

Cost: $900 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, two meals a day, ground transportation and tours. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Casa Xelaju; tel. (888) 796-CASA, Internet https://www.casaxelaju.com.

Europe: Hiking

Trips N’ Trails offers three hiking trips to Europe this summer.

The itineraries for these trips are suitable for hikers of all abilities and are planned for the best weather and wildflower viewing. Hiking each day starts from a picturesque mountain village where clients will stay in family-owned hotels with private bath. Breakfast and most dinners are included.

Guests in Switzerland, July 2-17, will explore three regions. The second trip, in Italy, starts on the coastline at the Cinque Terre and ends in the Dolomites. The dates are June 16-30 and July 16-30. The third trip, July 31 to Aug. 14, explores the Tirol region of Austria. Guests stay in two villages.

Cost: All trips are $2,300 per person, double occupancy, including transfers, van support, rooms with private bath, local taxes, all breakfasts, most dinners and services of experienced guides. Not included is international air fare.

Contact: Trips N’ Trails; tel. (800) 969-3575, Internet https://www.psln.com/trails.

Ireland: By Bike

Tour the Emerald Isle May 14 to 26 on a bicycling trip along less traveled roads. The tour begins in the southern port of Cork and follows the rugged coast to Galway. Tour highlights include the Ring of Kerry, the Cliffs of Moher and crossing the Shannon River.

This region is punctuated with peninsulas and tidewater bays that offer numerous vistas and historical points of interest. The guides are veterans of many miles on Irish roads and will be leading two different routes on most days to accommodate all levels of riders.

Cost: $1,350 per person, double occupancy, including lodging, all breakfasts, a support van for luggage, two guides, first-aid supplies and bike repair tools. Bike rentals are available for about $170. Air fare to Ireland is not included. Participants will meet in Cork.

Contact: Nichols Expeditions, 497 N. Main St., Moab, UT 84532; tel. (800) 648-8488.

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. These should be confirmed with travel agents or tour operators.